Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that tends to start when someone is in their teen years. Teens, (and adults), who have this psychological disorder have a distorted body image, which causes the person to be overly preoccupied with controlling their food intake. Researchers have found that babies that were born during the Spring months have a slightly higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia will usually present itself when a person is a teenager. This mental disorder generally affects more women than men, but men can be affected by this disorder as well. This disorder starts with strict dieting and a rapid amount of weight loss. The person may be exercising too much, or using laxatives or diuretics in order to lose even more weight.
No matter how much weight someone who has anorexia loses, they are still going to believe that they are fat, because part of this mental disorder includes having a distorted image of their own body. The person may become obsessed about food, weight, and dieting. Often, people with this disorder do not recognize that they need help. If untreated, anorexia can cause starvation, dangerously low blood pressure, slowed heartbeat, damage to bones and internal organs, and even death.
In 2010, a study that was done by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that there is a genetic link to anorexia. This discovery could provide some explanation about why eating disorders like anorexia tend to run in families. We all share some genetic similarities with our ancestors. Genetics risk is just one factor that can be seen as a cause of anorexia.
A report that was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that babies that are born during the Spring months have a higher risk of becoming anorexic than do babies born at other times of the year. The risk is only slightly higher, however.
The researchers looked at data from four other studies about anorexia that were done in the past. This included data from more than 1,293 people who had anorexia. They found that there was an “excess of anorexia nervosa births” that took place between March and June. Researchers also noted that there were fewer than expected cases of anorexia appearing in people who were born between September and October, months that are in Autumn.
The report suggests that certain factors may have contributed to the finding. It could be that the seasonal changes in temperature that take place in Spring have an effect. Perhaps the amount of sunlight exposure, and the resulting vitamin D levels that mothers experienced in Springtime play a part. The researchers also felt that maternal nutrition and infections were “strong candidate factors”.
Image by Curt Fleenor on Flickr